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Banqueting furniture at the ready for VE Day 70

The upcoming 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe, commonly referred to as VE Day, is another good reason to set out your banqueting furniture for a formal celebration and remembrance ceremony.

While war is of course a solemn subject, and hardly a thing to celebrate, VE Day has always been an event with slightly more festivities, as it marks the day victory was secured in Europe during World War II.

As such, the upcoming landmark anniversary on Friday May 8th is an opportunity to bring together people of all ages, especially if you have any surviving veterans of the event itself in your local community.

The government has offered to help with travel costs for any veterans keen to travel to London in order to attend the remembrance services scheduled for the upcoming weekend there, but of course some elderly individuals might prefer not to travel too far from home.

A list of local events is available on the government's dedicated VE Day 70 microsite, and over 100 beacons are due to be lit on May 8th - Leicester and Leicestershire have both been invited to light a beacon, so look out for one within view of any event you might be planning.

They include a beacon in Leicester's Town Hall Square, as well as one in Beacon Hill Country Park, between the M1 and A6 on the route between Leicester and Loughborough.

Leicester Cathedral will peal its bells on Saturday May 9th, while an example of a more light-hearted event is the 1940s fancy dress party due to take place at Oadby Royal British Legion on Friday May 8th.

One of the fundamental principles behind commemorating the events of WWII is so that they are never forgotten - and therefore, hopefully, never repeated - as well as being a chance to recognise the sacrifices made and to honour the surviving veterans of the conflict.

How you choose to do this is up to you - the range of events includes everything from two minutes' silence and pealing bells, to 1940s-style parties, so it's clear that both sombre and celebratory events are acceptable.